


Starman Waiting In The Sky

by SprinkleSparke



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No My Chemical Romance, Attempt at Humor, Author!Gerard, Babysitting, Editor!Frank, Fluff, M/M, Oneshot, Wordcount: 10.000-30.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:22:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25491571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SprinkleSparke/pseuds/SprinkleSparke
Summary: Inviting your crush to babysit your niece is maybe not the ideal first date.In which Gerard has an insufferable crush on the new guy at work and Mikey just wants someone to babysit his daughter for one night.
Relationships: Frank Iero/Gerard Way
Comments: 6
Kudos: 76





	Starman Waiting In The Sky

**Author's Note:**

> So this was my first time writing in English for this fandom and I literally just wrote it all at once not really planning the plot at all. I couldn’t have done it without [wiltgraham](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wiltgraham)! Thank you so, so much for your patience and for editing my errors...You’re seriously amazing!

Gerard loved his job. He could do what he liked, whenever he liked, which meant: exposing his bold, unflinching opinions through the great medium of print, drinking as much coffee as he liked, and pretending he owned the magazine (which he definitely didn’t). He had good friends (most of whom worked with him), a supportive family, a good apartment, and a good outlook on life. 

Hell, you'd probably even get away with saying Gerard was a good person. Because he was.

It's just...sometimes he would really enjoy punching Brian Schechter in the face.

"You're a piece of shit for sticking your nose into my non-existent love life," Gerard muttered as he sat on Brian's desk, feet swinging like heavy pendulums. He scratched his nose and sent a longing look toward the direction of Frank's cubicle. 

"I just wish he would talk to me, you know. I only had a meeting with him ONCE and all he said was 'Hey'."

Eyes firmly glued to the bright blue screen of his computer, Brian just hummed a response, clearly not even listening. His fingers flew over the keyboard, steady and a little too aggressive. Every time he pressed the spacebar, Gerard flinched. The evening sun flooded the large, glazed windows in a bloody orange. 

The atmosphere around them was calm. 

He breathed in the slight smell of coffee, ink, and cheap air freshener - probably something Jean bought because she insisted she couldn't focus if things didn't smell right. Her habits were more than questionable, but actually quite lovable. Gerard adored working and collaborating with her.

A clock was ticking on the opposite wall.

Gerard wondered if Frank was still here. Probably. Probably having a meeting or lounging in the break room like he usually did after work. It was kind of creepy that he knew that since Frank had only just started working here.

He bit his fingernail and felt a line form between his eyebrows as he continued to stare out of the big office windows. He was still on Brian's desk, legs swinging.

"I literally couldn't care less about your love life," Brian startled him, making Gerard fall from the table. "Jean told me you had a crush on Frank and I just asked you about it."

"Well yeah! Out in the open for everyone to hear!" He sent a glare towards Jean's cubicle, which was right next to his. Traitor.

Brian rolled his eyes. "Nobody was around. We were the only people in the room. I don't understand why you just don't talk to him. He's actually even more insufferable than you, you know? He plays in a band AND has his own blog." He made a face which Gerard didn't understand because that was honestly the hottest information he had gathered about Frank so far.

"You're a horrible boss and I want to punch you in the face."

"I know," Brian patted his arm, "but you would never do that." Gerard sighed leaning into his touch. "Go home, Gerard. You've been looking out of the window for like fifteen minutes now and Frank isn’t just going to appear in front of my desk if I don't call him."

After a few more seconds of contemplating his life choices and sending a few more longing gazes toward Frank's desk, Gerard actually went back to his own desk, where he found a grinning Jean in his chair.

"Sorry for telling Brian," Jean said sheepishly, looking like she wasn't sorry at all. She spinned around (in Gerard's chair!!!) and pushed her glasses up her nose. "But everyone here has a crush on Frank! It's not that big of a big deal that you have one too!" 

As much as she was annoying, she was right. Ever since Frank started here, everyone was enchanted by his charming personality and good looks. It wasn't fair. So Gerard just nodded and sat on his own desk instead. 

"I overheard Craig and Anne from marketing talking about him today and it was actually kinda creepy. They made a bet out of who would ask him out first," Jean explained, tossing her hair over her shoulder and yawning. 

"My life is hell," Gerard said miserably, burying his face in his hands. "Anne hates me! Do you remember when she made a fool out of me in front of like everyone when I accidentally spelled my own name wrong in the credits? I don't think I can handle them being friends or worse, dating."

"Poor baby...Oh look! He's coming out of the break room!" Jean whispered, pinching Gerard’s knee as he whipped his head around so fast that he almost snapped his own neck. The lazy atmosphere of the almost empty office changed as Frank bolted into the room, laughing about something that (none other than) Anne from marketing had said. Why her?

"Oh my god, he's wearing a Freddie Mercury shirt," he whispered to Jean, dropping from his desk and pretending that he was gathering his things. Jean craned her neck, trying to get a look of him too. Frank marched right through the room, saying bye to everyone on his way out.

"Oh yes, he's quite dreamy isn't he?" Jean said as Frank pushed a pair of sunglasses into his hair to hold it back. Gerard's heart was folding up around the edges. "If I wasn't gay I'd have a crush on him too."

"Shut up! He could hear us," Gerard gritted through his teeth, zipping up his bag. Frank was a few meters away from them now, waving at them. "Bye!"

"Bye!" they both replied simultaneously, waving back at him like obedient puppies or something. As soon as Frank was out of the door, Gerard started coughing violently because he’d forgotten to breathe sometime between the goodbyes and Frank smiling.

"Did you see the tattoos?" Gerard said softly after Jean had helpfully hit him on the back. In response to his question, she laughed at him!

"You're helpless."

•••

"What about the gluten-free crackers, you got gluten-free crackers, right?" 

"Mhmm..." 

It was Saturday, he was in a grocery store and he was still thinking about Frank's smile from yesterday. It was like his brain was cursed.

Gerard had picked up a mango smoothie from the cooler and his hand was already soaked from all of the condensed water. Mikey pushed the stroller right into Gerard's back without any care at all, almost knocking him off balance. Eleven-month-old Robbyn gurgled contentedly as Gerard dropped the mango smoothie on the floor. "Ow! Why did you do that?!" he whined, handing the smoothie to Ro as she carefully examined it by pushing the plastic lid into her mouth. That couldn't be good for a baby, but she looked so happy about it that Gerard didn't do anything to stop her.

"You're not listening to me....again! And since when do you drink-" Mikey's eyebrows went up as he tilted his head and leaned in close to see the label that was now half covered with his daughter's drool, " _Vegan Tropic Fun Mango Smoothies_?" 

Gerard gave him a long, heavy sigh and leaned dramatically onto Robbyn's stroller, "As of yesterday, Friday afternoon to be exact." 

Mikey stared at him and Gerard knew that meant he was supposed to keep talking, but he didn't want to elaborate. He knew the typical, smug grin that would appear on his brother's face, like it usually did when he talked about Frank and he was just too tired for that today. The truth was that Frank Iero, the new addition to the editor team of the magazine Gerard was writing for, had once drunk a smoothie that looked exactly like the one Ro just put in her mouth.

"Whatever. Do you have the gluten-free crackers or not?" 

"Hm, nope. I got regular crackers though. They're a lot tastier." 

"She can't eat regular crackers, Gee!" 

"Why not?!"

"She can't eat gluten!" Mikey almost screamed exasperated, "She's allergic! I told you this!"

"Okay, okay, let's go get your _special_ crackers! Jesus!" Gerard said, mimicking Mikey's nasally voice as he handed the smoothie back to Ro, who simply threw it onto the floor just like him.

Mikey shoved his hands in his hair to make it frustratingly clear that he'd rather not put his baby into the hands of his dumb (yet competent, thank you) older brother tonight. Now he looked like a cross between a blond Tim Burton and a mad scientist. Gerard hadn't seen him in skinny jeans or seen his hair weirdly styled with hairspray in a long, long time, come to think of it.

It was still strange that his little brother was someone's father now. Young Mikey, who got scared and hid under his blankets when a thunder was roaring, was still visible in Gerard's mind every time he looked at him out of the corner of his eyes. It was so surreal and yet fit perfectly.

He and Kristin were still so young and baby Robbyn had been a surprise for them all, but Gerard had never been more proud of Mikey, who dropped out of college to be with Ro just so Kristin could continue working. Nobody believed it at first, but Mikey took his new role as a father very seriously. Now his band shirts were covered with baby food or the occasional baby puke more often than not; and instead of cigarettes or the latest flyer of some fucked up indie band, he had a pacifier and baby wipes in his pockets. 

Gerard loved Robbyn with all of his heart and was a tad bit jealous that he, as the older brother of the two, had not been the first to have a baby. He still spoiled his niece rotten and might've even cried as hard as Mikey when she was born.

"I don't understand why you don't just ask him out," Mikey muttered in his typical _you're-so-stupid_ Mikey voice as he turned the stroller around and headed for the cracker shelves. Gerard hated that he could read him so well. He hadn't even mentioned Frank once the whole day.

"It's not that easy! You don't know how it is! He always talks to Anne from marketing and she _hates_ my articles. Besides, he sits four tables _away_ from me." 

"What an incredibly difficult and long way you absolutely cannot walk," Mikey countered back dryly.

"I hate you so much. How come Kristin never takes me shopping when I have to babysit? You are seriously no fun. Isn't that right, Ro?" Gerard said even more melodramatically than before, pushing the smoothie back into her tiny hands after she threw it out of the stroller. Again. It had become a game between them. 

"Because Kristin's in a meeting in New York right now to discuss her new book cover and because I don't trust you to shop alone," Mikey said as a matter of fact, like that wasn't the coolest thing in the world. After four years of them dating, Gerard still couldn't believe that Mikey's girlfriend was THE Kristin Colby. The best horror book author of her century, at least according to Gerard. He only embarrassed Mikey a little bit by being the fan he was and asking her to sign all of his books after they met for the first time. 

"I hope the cover is as bloody as the first one! The silhouette of the corpse with the drops of blood as an outline? That was so freaking sweet. She's literally living my dream." 

"Yeah, and you're changing the subject again. Frank is his name, isn't it?" Mikey muttered absently, staring at his phone and squinting his eyes. He had forgotten his glasses at home again, Gerard noticed. It was good that he had Ro tonight. Mikey deserved a break.

"Yeah, he’s gorgeous...His name is Frank Iero," Gerard enthused, and then immediately pulled a grimace again. "He doesn't even know my name." 

"Ga!" Ro squealed and threw the Smoothie right at Gerard's face this time. "Mikey, _she_ knows my name!" He pushed him out of the way with a triumphant glint in his eyes, which made Mikey almost drop the phone.

"Alright, Romeo. You got everything on your list now?" 

Gerard rolled his eyes. "We like your mommy and her bloody, haunted corpses a lot better than we like your boring daddy. Right, Ro?" Robbyn laughed and blinked up at Gerard's round face. God, her eyes, they looked so much like Mikey's that Gerard's heart maybe melted a little bit.

"Her first word is not gonna be something like 'corpse', Gee. No book-talk around her. Add that to your list. You're worse than-"

"Hey, Gerard," someone interrupted. Gerard looked up from the (now quite disgusting) drool covered smoothie bottle to the unexpected sound of Frank's voice. 

"Oh! Hi, Frank!" Fuck, his voice made that weird high sound. Gerard didn't know if the blood rushing into his face was because Frank apparently knew his name after all, or because he didn't know how much Frank had overheard of their conversation. He just _stood there_ with a small smile on his face, a shopping cart full of beer, and crisp bags… his black hair, which was probably still wet from a shower, fell around his ears and on his shoulders. Gerard wanted to push him against the cookie shelf to kiss that stupid smile off his face. He looked so adorable that Gerard needed a few seconds to realize that Frank was looking back and forth between him and Mikey and Ro, obviously jumping to a completely incorrect conclusion. He raised his eyebrows waiting to be introduced and oh-

Oh.

"Ew!" Gerard said out loud before he could stop himself and shuddered a little at the thought Frank must have had. 

"Ew!" Ro mimicked and threw the small smoothie bottle right in front of Frank's feet. The lid popped open and Frank's Converse got soaked with an orange mango-soup. 

"Oh my God..." Mikey sighed, rubbing his hand over his face, one hand already in the bag of the stroller where the baby wipes were safely packed away. "Frank!" Gerard shouted simultaneously, but was soon distracted by Ro who, startled by the commotion, began screaming. 

"Sorry, man." Mikey clumsily handed Frank the wipes with a stoic face, daring him to say something about the accident his daughter created. Frank just shrugged.

"It's cool." Frank grinned up from under the strands of his hair, as he bent down to wipe his shoes. Gerard had to hide his face behind the sniffling Ro to keep himself from fainting. Ro calmed down now that he’d lifted her out of the stroller, stroking her back in soothing circles.

"Was that a Tropic Smoothie? I drink these all the time!" Frank said, picking up the now _empty_ bottle.

"Uh-huh," Mikey said with a knowing look pointedly directed at Gerard. 

"Mikey!" Gerard grabbed Mikey with his free hand and turned him towards Frank. "Frank, this is Mikey, my terrible brother-" 

"Thanks." 

"-and this is his spawn Robbyn." His tone was embarrassingly shaky when he carefully handed her to Mikey. 

"' _Spawn_ ', huh." 

Gerard could be completely off, but it seemed like Frank's voice had become lighter. His eyes seemed a bit more genuine now...or maybe he was just making fun of him.

"Yeah, and, uh, Mikey and Ro, this is Frank from work," he quickly added, remembering that it would be kinda weird if Frank knew that Mikey already knew who he was. 

"Nice to meet you!" Frank said, smiling even bigger as he stretched his arm out to give Ro the small empty bottle. "I think you lost this." 

Gerard was in love.

Ro just blinked the tears away that were still stuck in her lashes and shyly snuggled deeper into the crook of her father's neck. Mikey took the plastic bottle instead.

"Frank! It's nice to meet you too." He leaned in close and whispered, very audibly, "Gerard must really like you. He only calls me a terrible _brother_ in front of people when he's trying to get in a guy's pants."

"You're so _funny_." Gerard pushed Mikey away with a hand over his face. "Why don't you get back to your cracker quest?"

A brief tussle ensued. Gerard won by pointing out that Mikey was setting a bad example for Ro, which was probably cheating, but whatever he probably had just ruined the possibility of ever having a normal conversation with Frank ever again, so it was justified. Once they were both safely browsing crackers again, Gerard turned back to Frank, who had been watching them with an incredulous half-smile.

"Hah! Brothers! Always trying to make your life embarrassing, right?" Gerard laughed hysterically, trying to save himself from the humiliation.

"No, not really, I'm an only child," Frank replied, scratching behind his ear, a silent laughter hidden behind his eyes. A long silence spread between them and Gerard just wanted to disappear into the ground. 

After three weeks of thinking back and forth on whether or not to approach him one-on-one, Gerard was robbed of that opportunity. He actually already had a plan ready, involving a broken copier and important editorial questions that couldn't be asked over email. For three weeks straight, ever since Frank had started, he tried to look at him without breaking his neck. Three weeks of unnecessary way too long breaks in front of the coffee machine just so he could walk past his desk. Three weeks of insufferable teasing by Jean. He would have been more than satisfied with having to slowly build a friendly office relationship with Frank, but now everything went from zero to one hundred. Thank you, Mikey. 

What if Frank wasn't into men? Oh, God, what if he felt insulted now? What if he was _married_? He'd have to quit. He'd have to move towns.

"Your last article on queer literature about the music industry was really amazing," Frank rescued him after ten more punishing seconds of silence. Gerard couldn't read his eyes, but he seemed to genuinely mean it. "Thank you!" was all he could bring himself to say. Their magazine wasn't that big, but they had their loyal readership and Gerard loved writing about music, art, books and lgbt+ topics which the magazine specified in, so he really couldn't complain. "I could've never finished the article in time without Jean," Gerard laughed nervously. "Have you met her yet?" 

"I know all of the authors and journalists, Gerard. I'm the editor of your articles."

Gerard blushed. Of course Frank knew his name. He _had_ to know it. 

"Are you throwing a party?" Gerard distracted him, making a long-winded gesture towards the beer in Frank's cart. "Yes! We're throwing a surprise party for Ray tomorrow. Haven't you heard? It's his birthday. If you want to come, take this as an official invitation." 

A thousand thoughts whirled around in his head. Ray as in Ray-from-finance Ray? Was Ray his boyfriend? Who was _we_? Frank must have noticed his hesitation, because he added: "Or we can have a beer or something instead, if Party's aren't your thing...Tonight, just you and me?"

Some old pop song was playing on the radio in the background, hovering between them as Gerard stared at him, perplexed. There was a palpable feeling in the air that he couldn't name. Gerard felt Frank's eyes on him, and it was flattering yet somehow grounding, which made him rub the place above his chest where his heart beat unevenly.

Gerard cleared his throat, "I would love that."

"I had hoped you would say that." If Frank's smile was pretty before, it was blinding now. Flirting. That was flirting, right? 

Gerard felt a heat build up from his chest to his cheeks. His hands slid across the pockets of his jeans, fingers grasping for distraction. 

He knew he should've said no because of a certain obligation to his job and the unspoken 'no dating in the office rule'. But he's got air pocketed in his lungs...and his stomach and chest were tingling, and he was just...

"Wait, no!"

Frank visibly swallowed and looked rather flabbergasted. "What?"

"I'm taking care of Ro tonight." He felt so stupid, that's why he was literally at the grocery store right now.

"Oh."

"But I would love to come to Ray's surprise party and, uhm, I would still like to grab a beer with you! Well, not beer...I, uh, I don't drink, but I wouldn't mind if you would drink a beer -" he was grasping at words again, desperately trying to not let this opportunity and clear invite for a date pass by. "What I mean is that you can still stop by tonight!"

"Are you asking me to babysit with you? As a date?" Frank's eyebrows shot up. 

Fuck. That was a really weird first date idea, but he couldn't help it. Three weeks of yearning made it impossible to reject him now. Frank was just too cute in his jean jacket, hair tucked behind his ears, and pushing around a cart full of beer.

"Yeah, I know, it's probably super weird. I'm sorry, you don't even know me and I'm asking you to take care of a child with me, but it's probably just going to be very boring after she falls asleep and I'll be watching bad zombie movies all night and-"

"You know what? Alright. I used to babysit all the time when I was in High School and I fucking love bad zombie movies."

Gerard gaped at him. He couldn't believe his luck. "You'll need my number," Frank practically sang giving him his phone, but his eyes were bright and pleased, and Gerard grabbed his phone with all his might and prevented himself from doing something terribly unpleasant like hugging Frank. Or smelling his shirt. Or doing something even more embarrassing.

"I like you," Gerard blurted out instead, after he typed his number into the phone. God, he was embarrassing. He felt the warmth in his face right away, but he didn't retract his statement. After all, honesty was the best policy.

"I like you too, Gerard Way. I expect you to text me." he grinned, taking his phone back and looking at Gerard's number.

"I will!" Gerard said a little too eagerly and watched him walk out of the aisle.

As soon as he was thoroughly gone, Gerard sighed and collapsed on Mikey's shoulder, who approached him (as if on cue) from right around the corner.

"I'm so screwed," he whined. "Did you see him? It's just like I told you, he's too adorable to be real! He asked me on a date."

"Ugh, you're such a softie." Mikey rolled his eyes and shoved Gerard back upright. "He's attractive, I'll grant you. But you don't have anything to whine about. He obviously likes you."

"You think so?" 

"Of course he does. He asked you out, idiot."

Gerard's insides lit up like a Christmas tree. Then he turned and swatted Mikey's head, hissing, "I can't believe you said I wanted in his pants! I swear, I can hardly be seen in public with you, and I don't know what's the point of a brother with a totally adorable baby if I can't be seen with you!"

"Pfft!" Mikey scoffed. He tossed a squeeze pouch of pureed vegetables into the bottom basket of the stroller. "You should be thanking me. Now you two can stop fucking around and start fucking instead."

"Uh, I don't think that's going to happen..."

Mikey squinted his eyes together, recognising the tone in his voice. "Gee," he said, voice low, "what did you do?"

"I might've invited him over to babysit Ro with me tonight," Gerard said, hiding behind Ro’s stroller as a shield.

"You're having a date while you're taking care of my daughter? YOU ARE LETTING A STRANGER INTO MY HOME?" Ro laughed excitedly as they played a game of catch around her stroller, which could only be an omen that tonight was going to be the best night of their life. At least Gerard hoped so.

•••

"Hi!" Gerard said breathlessly, his heart picking up its pace as he opened the door and saw Frank standing on Mikey’s doorstep. "Hi!" Frank replied simply, going on his toes and back down. Why was everything so simple to him? He had almost immediately texted him after they had come home from the store, asking for a time and address, and now he was really standing here. 

Frank's black hair shone brilliantly under the harsh streetlamps and Gerard remembered Jean talking about the stars. A couple months back she wrote an article about a bisexual trans woman that worked her way up at NASA. The way she'd described the stars, how they radiated light from their cores, unlike the moon which merely reflected it... Gerard thought Frank could be a star, glowing so powerfully from his whole being simply because that's who he was. And Gerard could be his moon, reflecting that shine. Frank smiled at him again, a quiet thing as they stood together in the cold. Thoughts of stars and Jean faded away when faced with the stars in Frank’s eyes.

The moment broke as Mikey appeared with Robbyn on his arms behind him. "It’s cold," he grumbled matter of fact.Gerard groaned as he quickly ushered Frank into the warmth that was Kristin and Mikey’s apartment. 

"He wanted to see and talk to you before he leaves," Gerard explained quietly as Mikey shook Frank’s hand in such a fake business manner that Gerard wanted to throw up. "Just making sure, I'm not leaving my daughter and my brother with a serial killer." He shrugged and Ro made a "Gah!" sound in agreement. Frank laughed, his eyes twinkling, "I promise you that I'm not a serial killer. Just a small editor with a small band." 

"Oh. What’s your band called?"

"Pencey Prep."

And with that, Gerard knew he had won Mikey over. Sitting in the kitchen now, they talked about at least a thousand small Jersey bands Gerard was sure he’d never heard of before. Robbyn seemed to be bored too, laying on a blanket and throwing her stuffed bear around in all possible directions. Gerard had trained her well. The moment the conversation turned into the straightest and most boring discussion about sports, Gerard knew he had to stop this. 

"Ooookay." He got up from his chair, tossing the stuffed bear back to Robbyn. She was going to have a killer arm one day, Gerard knew. "You'll miss Kristin's arrival if you don't leave now." 

They were going to dinner tonight, that was the reason Gerard was supposed to watch Ro in the first place. Mikey looked at him with a blank face, but then stood up, hoisting Ro onto his slim waist and kissing her softly on the cheek. That kind of lightness he had in his movements, and generally this fatherly side of Mikey, was still something that Gerard needed to learn how to handle. It made his heart swell ten sizes bigger. 

"Dah!" Ro squeaked as Mikey froze before handing her over to Gerard. "Does this count as Dad or Daddy?" he asked hopefully, as Robbyn reached up in an attempt to grab his glasses.

"Nope! She's just excited to spend an entire evening with her coolest and definitely best uncle." 

"You're her _only_ uncle." 

"Exactly!" 

Mikey sighed and put on his long coat, which made him look even thinner than he already was. "Just call me if you need something, okay?"

A few final reminders here and there, and at last Gerard was alone with Frank. He turned and yep, he definitely didn't dream it. Frank was still sitting at the kitchen table, a glass of water in his hand. "All we have to do is put her to bed and then we can order dinner," he said, sounding more nervous than he actually was as Ro wriggled in his arms.

"Sounds perfect to me."

•••

Frank was so sweet with Robbyn that Gerard didn't know what to do with himself. He understood her little personality right away; he played little games with her and didn't even flinch when she pulled his hair. Even as she puked on Frank’s shirt after her bottle and Gerard had to give him one of Mikey’s shirts, he still seemed delighted and willing to help Gerard in any way he could.

"You know, I thought you were straight before you approached me in the store," Gerard mentioned quietly as they picked out a book for Ro's bedtime story a little later in the evening.

"You know that we work at an LGBT+ magazine for art and culture, Gerard?" Frank giggled (actually giggled!). He chose a small book with a giant green frog on the cover and studied it as if it were a piece of high class art.

"That doesn't mean anything!" Gerard squeaked, feeling the blood rush into his cheeks.

He honestly hadn't even thought about that. 

"Such heteronormative thinking," he sighed sarcastically and looked at him with a smile. "I know I've only been working there a few weeks, but I can tell you for certain that nobody in the office is straight, Gerard. Gay vibes everywhere." 

"Gay!" came from Ro in Gerard's lap. Alarmed, they both stared at each other as Ro continued to babble words that didn’t mean anything.

"Don't tell me that was her first word..." 

"Not a word to Mikey about this, okay?" Gerard hissed.

"Okay," Frank snorted and put a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. 

Of course, Frank was so cute and good at reading aloud that Robbyn's eyelids got heavier little by little. Eventually they put Robbyn (finally!) into her crib, but the moment she fell asleep, Gerard was suddenly wide awake and panicked. Just a little. Because now he was alone with Frank for the first time. But for Frank everything seemed so easy and fine, and if he noticed Gerard's discomfort he didn't say anything about it.

"Um, we could order pizza?" Gerard said, sitting on the edge of the couch. Frank let himself fall into the cushions like he owned the place.

"Fuck yeah," Frank groaned and took out his phone. "I know a great vegetarian place. If that’s cool with you. They've also got great vegan pies for dessert." 

He shoved the phone in Gerard's face so he could review the several, incredibly-delicious looking, pies on the screen. "Chili Pie?" he asked suspiciously and squinted his eyes to make sure he wasn't misreading. 

"Really? That sounds fun! We have to get a piece." Frank leaned over his shoulder, his breath tickling Gerard’s skin and making him shudder.

"Okay," Gerard grinned at Frank's childish expression, his finger already hovering over the call button.

•••  
  


They were very good at conversations, Gerard decided. Mainly because Frank was brilliant at filling all the empty silences and even more brilliant at making everything Gerard said seem interesting. And he talked quite fast - in contrast to Gerard's own, rather quiet, slurred style - Frank’s voice jingled while Gerard's was clumsy. Sometimes they talked about themselves, but they always listened to each other and it was simply nice. Frank spoke intensely, often staring into Gerard's eyes while he fidgeted; he also had a tendency of pushing the hair away from his face and occasionally snapping his fingers on Gerard's arms while making quick jokes. There was something always, always graspable and inconsistently sincere about him.

At some point Gerard was filled with a very real desire to secretly record Frank's conversation - just so he could listen to it later in the evening with headphones hidden in his bed. He was almost convinced that it would help him fall asleep, but then he decided that it was probably creepy and very invasive. So Gerard pushed the urge away and instead concentrated on how Frank sounded slightly out of breath when he talked about the Misfits.

He was passionate about music. Frank talked about how much he loved his little band and loved singing all the time, and that he sometimes scribbled new songs in his notebook when he couldn't concentrate on work.

Frank also liked flowers, which was a fact that Gerard didn't need to know because he absolutely did not need to go to a florist on Monday at eight in the morning looking for lavender and white daisies. He had to buy him flowers next time. He wondered weakly if he should buy a marijuana plant and use it to branch the bouquet a little higher, because Frank smoked a good bit and he would certainly love it. Then he thought about the idea of adding small pumpkins to his future gift because Frank was born on Halloween, but that might be a bit creepier considering that Gerard got this information through Facebook instead of hearing it from Frank himself.

They pretty much gave up on a movie as they started to get into a very lengthy discussion about whether _Shaun Of The Dead_ or _Zombieland_ was funnier that, by the time they finished talking, the food finally arrived. Even as they were eating on the couch with a baby monitor on the living room table, they somehow didn't run out of conversation material. It was the first time Gerard didn't feel ashamed about gushing and passionately talking about his interests. 

In the past, only Mikey had had to put up with his rants, but he’d obviously been busy with something, or rather someone else, in the last few months. Apart from that, Frank looked incredibly attractive as he flailed his hands around, telling Gerard that he wanted to play D&D again because he hadn't played it since high school. Gerard was completely and utterly in love. 

"This is so good," Gerard moaned. "I tried to make...like my own pizza dough once and I completely failed. I can't bake or cook at all."

"I like to cook. I aspire to cook a meal entirely made from my own ingredients one day. I have a garden," Frank said casually. They were almost done with the pizza now. Their hands were touching as they took the last two slices.

Gerard raised his eyebrows, "You do?"

"Why? Don't I look like the gardening type to you?" Frank swallowed and wiped his hands with a (most likely organic) napkin. 

Gerard tried to picture Frank in a gardening hat and a pair of green gloves tending a rosebush....the sun shining on the glistening sweat over his tattoos.

Okay, it wasn't as hard to imagine as he thought it would be. "What are you growing?"

"Mostly vegetables," Frank said. "At the moment, I have tomatoes and cucumbers. And for the fall, I want to grow pumpkins." Hah, maybe the future gift plan wasn't going to fail after all.

Gerard laughed and shook his head. "Somehow that sounds nothing like something you'd spend your spare time with."

Frank smiled and bit into his pizza. "You can come visit my garden sometime. I'll let you, if you dare to step into the sun that is."

"Hey! I actually like going outdoors!"

"If you say so." Frank laughed, throwing his arms up in defeat. 

Reluctantly, Gerard turned to him and despised the way his weak human body immediately unfolded... all the tension disappeared the minute he looked at Frank. God, he had the warmest eyes in the world. The sweetest smile. He was sweet and warm like a cake. Fresh out of the oven. Devil's food.

They started with the chocolate cake and fought with their forks like swords for the pieces that were closest to the sweet crust.

"Why did you want to become an editor?" Gerard asked with chocolate on his lip. He licked it off before Frank could mention it. "I really want to know why you applied to our magazine. I'd like to get to know you better, you know? All of you."

"The first part is a really dumb reason," Frank said. "But the second part will make it better."

Gerard nodded, "Alright. What is it."

"I wasn't a good student when I was younger," Frank said, tilting his head back and forth. "I was smart and had potential, but I also liked to have fun. I made jokes and stuff."

"A distraction."

Frank half-smiled, "Yes, Mr. Way, I was a distraction."

Gerard matched his smile. "Go on."

"I was a distraction, and my grades had kind of slipped, skateboarding was more fun than homework, you know."

"Actually...no, I never did that. I rather hid in my basement pretending to be a big comic writer, when in reality I was just writing shitty fanfiction about batman comics," Gerard said sheepishly. "I had ambitions from a very young age." He laughed at his own words.

Frank smiled fondly, "One day, I would like to read what the beginning of your writing career was. Even if it’s just shitty fanfiction." Gerard blushed. "Anyways, in high school, a teacher told me I would become nothing worthwhile and would spend my whole life jumping around low-paying jobs."

"That's rude," Gerard said quickly, tugging his eyebrows together.

"My mother was nearly on the ceiling when I told her, she even marched straight to school." Frank smiled in memory of his mother - then dismissively waved his hand. "Well, I graduated with mediocre grades and decided that I would just study harder and become the most rewarding thing I could think of that had to do with English because that was my best subject."

"An editor?"

"Right," Frank said with a smile. "I wanted to study English so I could be an author first, but I suck at coming up with actual plots and I hate research too much to go into journalism. I always was more interested in other people's words. And then I started to love editing. I did my internships with different editors of big time authors and ate up the unreleased books and words around me. I was obsessed with it, and there's nothing better than being obsessed with what you want to do in life. I started to do well in my lectures and took more internship hours. Everything fell into place just because I proved someone wrong."

Gerard smiled when Frank was done, he was by far the most interesting person Gerard had ever met. "Why did you choose our magazine? You could've edited novels."

"Because it feels important," Frank said quick and simple. "You guys release important articles that feel genuine. You write about everything I love and am: the music scene, literature, art, and most importantly the LGBT+ community. You don't play on stereotypes and actually publish real stories that could help people. I want to be able to help kids like me, even if I'm just a small part in the process. It feels important."

Gerard carefully cut a piece of cake and put it on his tongue. Frank was way too good to be true. "You are very noble."

"Not quite," Frank said, shaking his head. "I'm just trying to find meaning in life. Hoping words might do it."

Gerard swallowed and his eyes met Frank's. "Even if it's not, I hope you know the teacher was wrong about you. You will be amazing at your job and your passions, whatever it is."

Frank smiled. "Oh, I know. Haven't you figured it out yet? My confidence rages on pretty high most of the time."

Gerard laughed, "Well, if you ever need someone to spice it up, I'm here."

The moment changed into something heavier as they both smiled and then let it fade away, holding each other's gaze. Gerard cleared his throat first. "I dare you to eat that chili pie."

Frank blinked. "I don't remember whether I agreed to play truth or dare with you, Gee."

Gerard smiled at the nickname and blinked slowly, "Please? You ordered it because 'it looked fun'. Try it."

Frank tried to say no three more times, but Gerard wouldn't let him and was already cutting an edge off the chili pie with his fork.

"You can't just force it into my mouth," Frank said, as he resigned himself to the fact that Gerard would just ignore his protests.

Gerard laughed and used his finger to hold the cake on the fork. "I know."

"What do I get if I try it?" Frank looked at the pie tiredly. Chili and pears just didn't seem appealing when you've already had a perfectly good piece of chocolate cake. Gerard understood that.

He moved his head back and forth and thought about it. "I'll clean this up and you won't have to do anything." He gestured to their takeout trash.

"I really don't mind cleaning up, Gerard."

"I am going to show you my shitty Batman Fanfiction," Gerard offered.

"Aw, that's sweet ," Frank said. "I would've made you show me eventually anyways. Come on, give me something big."

He quietly stared at the pie, and then Gerard licked his lips, a rush of bravery overcoming him. 

"You can kiss me."

Frank’s eyes widened, "Is that supposed to be tempting?"

Gerard panted and laughed, but he saw Frank's cheeks turning pink and knew that he was joking. "Okay, okay, I'll think of something else."

"No," Frank said before he could come up with something different. "I choose option C."

Gerard smiled, almost dizzy at the thought of Frank kissing him, then swallowed before offering him the fork. Frank, however, thoughtfully rejected the utensil and avoided hypocrisy by leaning over him instead; their eyes met as Frank opened his lips and let Gerard stick the fork into his mouth. It was a heavy, intoxicating moment as Frank slowly closed his lips and leaned back to chew the pie.

The moment shattered as soon as Frank's tongue registered what was on it. He looked like he couldn't breathe properly without wanting to vomit. Frank then clumsily pulled himself up onto his feet and spit the cake into a napkin, wiping his mouth as Gerard cackled loudly.

Laughter gushed sporadically from Gerard's lips as Frank purified his mouth with a bite of chocolate pie. "It's not that funny," he said as Gerard, on the verge of giggling again, just smiled wider.

"But it is," Gerard said. "Your face was incredible."

"It's also the face I make before I puke, so that's a pretty intimate glimpse of my life."

Gerard nodded, "Good. I told you I wanted to know more about you." He couldn't ignore the faint flares in his stomach, and it wasn't even him who’d eaten the chili pie.

"Well, you're off to a good start." He went quiet for a bit. "Do you think it's worth it?"

"Yes," Gerard said decidedly. He couldn't do much more than say it louder, making sure Frank understood. Of course it was, of course he was worth it. Gerard wanted to kill whoever or whatever made him think otherwise.

"By the way, I'd like to get to know you better, too."

"Really?" Gerard looked up from where he had traced the patterns of cushion next to them. "Do you have anything in particular you want to know?" he asked, batting his eyelashes comically, grinning silly.

Frank pursed his lips and hummed, "What's your favourite ice cream flavour?"

"That's your burning question?"

"I may have more," Frank said, trying to make his voice sound mysterious. "I am starting small."

"You'll scream when I tell you."

"It's vanilla, isn't it?" Frank said immediately. "It's the only flavor that would make me scream."

Gerard smiled. "What if I told you I had a good reason?"

Frank sighed and leaned back on the couch, automatically leaning a bit closer towards Gerard. "I will permit your explanation."

"You're making me feel like I'm in court," Gerard said. "I will fight to defend my opinion."

"You are," Frank said, "and I'm the overpaid judge, so don't waste my time."

Gerard laughed, "Vanilla is my favourite because it's the perfect base. You can make any kind of sundae if you start with vanilla and don't let too many flavours in a mix. You control the entire flavor depending on which one you choose."

Frank nodded, obviously trying not to grin. "Well argued."

"Thank you."

"I don't agree, but I appreciate the argumentation."

Gerard narrowed his eyes and leaned a little more into the couch. "I appreciate your consideration."

They both started laughing at the same time, barely making eye contact, and it felt like the sun shining through clouds for the first time after a rainy day. There was just a certain light that Frank radiated, and Gerard wanted to catch whatever he could. He wasn't aware of this when he first saw him at the office, but there was something inside Frank that felt electric, contagious.

"I ate the pie."

"Hmm?" Gerard looked at him in confusion, Frank was moving closer and oh-

"That means I can kiss you now." Frank looked at his lips, waiting for Gerard to give him permission. Gerard nodded hastily in return.

Frank moved slowly, lifting his hand up toward their faces. He drew his fingertips over Gerard's cheekbone and down his jawline, moving toward his chin so he could lift Gerard's face just slightly. Frank's breath was even under Gerard's gaze as he lifted his hand to touch him back. Frank's skin was soft and smooth, although Gerard felt a small scar where his fingertips rested.

"Okay," he muttered softly just before Frank kissed him, the word pressed like a ghost between their lips.

The kiss was soft and slow, hesitant almost. Then Frank did that thing - a low sigh at the back of his throat and Gerard felt it like fireworks under his lungs. Frank coaxed his mouth open with his lips and pressed his tongue in closer, tasting Gerard for the first time. Frank tasted like the orange soda he drank during dinner and something so distinctly intoxicating that Gerard felt like he was about to lose his mind.

His hand drifted to Frank's neck, thumbing over his pulse and then pulling him in closer, getting lost in the heat between their mouths. Frank moved first, pressing his whole body forward and closing up the space between their ribs. Gerard took the hint and nudged Frank along with him, adjusting so he could settle between his legs.

To have Frank, heavy and warm, under him was like starting a fire and it was all Gerard could do to stay under control as his fingers twisted in Frank's hair and brushed the curve below his ears. Frank's hands were braced on both sides of Gerard's shoulders and it made everything warmer, the heat of their kisses caught between them. Gerard kissed along Frank's jaw and to his neck, instantly memorizing the sounds Frank made, the punch of air from his lungs when he pressed his hips against Gerard's.

He bit on the strong muscle of Frank's neck just to hear his skipped breath. He ran his hands over the broad plains of Frank's back and tucked his hand under his sweatshirt to feel the soft warmth of his lower back as their lips met again. 

"Oh my god," Frank said, pulling back only slightly. Their faces were so close that he was only a blur until he pulled back a little further and drew into focus. His cheeks were red and his hair was a complete mess, but Gerard couldn't stop staring as his hands roamed a thin line under Frank's shirt and over his skin. He was about to kiss him again as a loud cry came out of the baby monitor. In an instant, they raced apart like teenagers who had been caught by their parents; Gerard slipped from the edge of the couch while Frank tried to catch him, which led to them falling on top of eachother. After the first loud cry passed, there was a spooky silence. There was nothing to hear aside from their, still breathless, panting. The heat quickly replaced by cold as they tried to reorient themselves.

"Oops," Gerard said, gently pushing Frank off of him and grabbing the baby monitor. "She's awake but not crying anymore. I'm gonna go check on her."

They laughed as they pulled themselves up. This was such a bizarre situation and Gerard was sure Mikey was going to kill him if he knew that he just made out with Frank while babysitting. 

Oh my god, he just made out with Frank while babysitting. He looked down at him, quite shocked but still smiling. Frank rolled his eyes, pecked him on the lips and shoved him towards the stairs. "Go, go, you idiot."

His smile disappeared as soon as he was standing in front of Robbyn's room. He heard a noise. It came from her room and sounded like a bark, hard and metallic. When Gerard rushed to Robbyn, she was lying in her crib with her eyes wide open. The hard barking was a cough, but certainly not a normal cough. It sounded creepy. He took Robyn in his arms and walked the length of the room with her.

"Everything's gonna be alright," he said over and over and over again, like a parrot. But it wasn't fine. Ro kept barking and seemed at least as scared as Gerard. He went to the shelf and pulled out a book with a list of childhood illnesses, in a panic he almost knocked half of the other books onto the floor. The illnesses were in alphabetical order. On page 98 was a chapter about coughs. Gerard thought he had never read so fast in his life. The cough chapter consisted of several pages and obviously there were many different forms. And then the word barking caught his eye. The paragraph was titled Pseudo Croup. Robbyn kept barking while Gerard cradled her in his arms, kissing her sweaty hair, his eyes raced across the lines. 

_The illness begins with a hard barking cough, often combined with whooping inhalation sounds_ \- which Ro didn't do! Was that good? - _Babies are often afraid to suffocate_ \- he had to sit down reading these words. - _which is why they first need to be taken into their guardians arm to calm down._ \- Gerard stroked his niece’s back as she started to cry again. - _If you know the situation already, you control the severe shortness of breath immediately and after about ten minutes..._ \- How much time had passed? Two minutes, three? Five? In his panic, he flew over the next few paragraphs… - _Even the hot shower turned on in the bathroom can serve as a steam generator and calm the cough._ \- If that didn't help... Gerard slammed the book shut. It had to help. It had to help. As Robbyn reached for a stray strand of hair, he noticed that tears were running down his cheek as well. Fuck, fuck, fuck. 

On his way to the bathroom, Gerard almost rammed into Frank. "What's wrong?" Frank asked in a very, very serious voice when he saw them. A weight fell from Gerard's shoulders. He was not alone. 

"She was coughing and didn't cry when I came into her room and, and she didn't stop! And then I looked in the book that they always keep in her room, and it said that steam might relieve the coughing, but- But right now...she doesn't cough anymore-"

"Did you take her temperature?" Frank interrupted. His face was a welcoming calm in the growing storm of Gerard's insides. He shook his head hard. 

"Do you know where a thermometer could be?" Again, he shook his head. "Okay, you check the bathroom and turn on that steamy shower. There's no way that can hurt. And I'll go to her room and check it for a thermometer and call your brother, okay?"

"Okay," Gerard answered and took a deep breath. It didn't help anyone if he panicked. "Okay."

Frank smiled reassuringly, "It's gonna be okay. Can you give me your phone?"

Gerard fumbled his phone out of his pocket, unlocked it, then threw it to Frank. The moment he reached the bathroom, he immediately turned on the hot water, closed the door and searched the closet for a thermometer. Nothing. Damp steam filled the room.

"Everything is okay," he whispered as he stroked her back with the palm of his hand. "It's gonna be fine, sweetheart. You can do it." And miraculously, he was right. Robbyn calmed down. The screaming and coughing subsided. She had stopped crying, too. Gerard pressed her to his chest and was suddenly grateful and desperate simultaneously. When he was quite sure it was over, he turned off the tap again. Things like this had never happened before when he had to watch over Ro. Sweat rolled down his shirt and he opened and closed the window after realising that this was probably not the best idea for Ro right now. She was breathing normally now, sucking her thumb and looking up at Gerard with huge eyes. But her body felt too warm and he didn't know if it was because of the steam or because she was running a fever. Her eyes were shimmery.

"Your brother and Kristin are on their way," Frank's voice startled him slightly. He turned around and saw Frank standing in the doorway. His phone in one hand and _thank god_ a thermometer in his other. 

"Let's change her and get her temperature, okay?" 

Gerard could only nod as his heart was still beating way too fast and he was still scared. "Are they mad?" he asked worriedly, as they walked back into Robbyn's room. "What?" Frank looked at him like he was mad. "Of course not! They said she was probably getting a cold. Now you change her and take her temperature, while I get some warm blankets." Frank raised his eyebrows as Gerard stood still.

"How do you know all this stuff so well?" he asked quietly. "I'm the worst uncle ever." 

"Oh, you're not!" Frank huffed. "That was quite quick thinking with the book and all. And I told you that I used to babysit a lot! That's how I made money as a broke college student." 

Ro grew tired as Gerard changed her out of the sweaty, dirty clothes and took her temperature. Her eyes fluttered, almost falling shut every few minutes. "She doesn't have a fever!"

Gerard nearly sank to his knees in relief, even though she had a slightly raised temperature. After the whole ordeal, Ro was fast asleep on the changing table. Under Frank's instructions, Gerard wrapped her in a few blankets and carefully picked her up. He wasn't ready to put her down in the crib yet, scared she might start to cough again, so they opened the window to let in some fresh air. The Moon was obscured by clouds and the air felt wonderfully cold. 

"Thank you," Gerard said after a while. "For what?" "For not running away, because you're on the most stressful date ever with a guy you barely know, taking care of a baby and being better than her own uncle at it." He didn't want to sound so monotone, but god, he was tired and he couldn't even blame Frank. 

"You're ridiculous, you know that?" 

Gerard looked at him with raised eyebrows. Frank was still looking outside, his hands leaning on the windowsill. "Uhm-"

"I said that I wanted to get to know you, didn't I?" Frank turned to look him straight in the eye and Gerard felt his knees wobble under the intensity of his gaze... or maybe because his niece was getting quite heavy in his arms. "And it's obvious that we like each other enough that we clearly couldn't wait until tomorrow, right?" He let out a small breathy laugh, shaking his head. Gerard swallowed, taking him in. The moonlight and the lanterns from the street were forming weird shadows on his skin. He couldn't believe how lucky he was.

"And I think you're a wonderful uncle. It's obvious how much you love her," he added, looking out of the window again.

Finally, Gerard put Robbyn back into her crib. He carefully kissed her on the forehead and then closed the window, stepping into Frank's view. "Thank you," he said again, more sincerely. Frank smiled, taking his hands and Gerard couldn't help but smile back. Frank was something so familiar. He felt completely like himself when Frank looked at him like that. Maybe Gerard should be scared of what that meant, considering he didn't even talk to the guy 24 hours ago, but after a few seconds of content staring Frank said, "You didn't tell me Mikey's girlfriend was my former boss by the way."

"What?!"

" _Ten Hauntings, Ten Corpses_?" He laughed at Gerard's expression. "I helped edit that book."

"It's fate,” Gerard whispered and stepped a little closer. Frank rolled his eyes. "Totally," he said but the sarcastic tone wasn't as sarcastic as before. Just as Gerard was about to lean in again to kiss him, the lock of the door downstairs interrupted them.

Without hesitation, Gerard rushed to the first floor and basically threw himself onto Mikey who dropped his keys in surprise.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he mumbled into his brother’s shirt. "I just didn't know what to do!" Mikey awkwardly petted Gerard's back. "Everything is okay, Gerard," Kristin said from behind Mikey, her cheeks still a little red from the cold air. "Oh, hi Frank!" She took her scarf off, waving towards the stairs where Frank was standing and watching the gathering with a small smile on his lips. "I didn't know I would be seeing you in these circumstances, but I'm glad you saved this one-" She pointed at Gerard who was still hanging onto Mikey. "-from fainting."

"He didn't save _me_ , he saved _Robbyn_!" Gerard exclaimed, finally letting go of Mikey and hugging Kristin instead. 

"He's exaggerating," Frank explained, seeing Mikey's eyebrows furrowing. "She's asleep in her bed and she doesn't even have a fever. My guess is that she's getting a cold." He shrugged. "But it's nice to see you too again."

Kristin laughed, rubbing Gerard's arms up and down comfortingly. She was a good mom, Gerard thought, smelling the cold air that still clung on her clothes. "Thank you," she said softly, gently removing herself from Gerard's death grip. "Both of you!" She pointedly looked at Frank and winked. "I'm gonna go to her but I don’t want any freak outs while I'm not here," she said with a raised eyebrow, heading upstairs to check on their daughter for herself. Mikey shook his head. "You're an idiot, Gee."

"I know. You would've reacted the same way though."

"I know." Mikey gave him one of his rare wide smiles, all teeth and everything, which reassured Gerard that it was all going to be fine for the first time this evening. 

"Thank god I have Kristin and you had him. Or else we would be doomed in our panic." Mikey clapped, a now blushing, Frank on his shoulder as they passed each other by. "You still owe me a dinner though." The stairs made creaking noises as he went upstairs as well, leaving Frank and Gerard alone in the hallway.

"Oh my god." Gerard buried his face in his hands. Frank let out a loud giggle as he bent forward, laughter now shaking through his bones. 

"This was the most eventful date I ever went on," he grinned, wiping his eyes even though there weren't any tears. "Is that good?" Gerard asked, the worry still seeping through his words. 

"Yes. It really, really is," Frank said more softly, having that _look_ in his eyes again. The look that made Gerard's insides roll and which made his head so dizzy that it felt like he was high. "Good," he said, before hugging Frank so suddenly that he almost knocked both of them over. What could he do? He was just a hugger. Frank laughed again and Gerard felt his erratic heartbeat through his shirt. 

"I promise you that our next date is going to involve less baby puke and chili pie." 

"More kissing too, I hope," Frank said with a smile that Gerard pretended was just for him. He hasn't seen Frank give it to anyone else yet, so technically it might be.

Frank slowly reached for Gerard's face and traced his cheekbones with two fingers. Gerard closed his eyes under Frank's strong gaze, and focused intently as he dragged his fingers down and twice over Gerard's lower lip. He was already expecting it when Frank kissed him, sweetly pressing their lips together. Gerard hummed into the kiss and smiled before he could stop himself.

Gerard knew that Frank had to leave soon and that he would crash on Mikey’s couch tonight, totally exhausted but happy nevertheless. But right now they had this - a moment that stretched out like caramel - in the hallway of his brother's home. They clung to each other with the sincere promise that more was soon to come.


End file.
